Carcieri: Not Ruling Out Senate Run

Governor Carcieri tells talk-radio station WPRO, in an interview to be aired next month, that he is not ruling out a run against Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in two years. His comments add fuel to a fire started in recent weeks by GOP party chairman Gio Cicione, who has touted a possible Carcieri Senate run.

Carcieri leaves office with low approval ratings. But two years is an eternity in politics. And time can often burnish the image of departing pols - particularly if their successors stumble.

But at the moment, a Carcieri run looks like a long shot. And that he represents the GOP's best shot at the seat, for now, speaks to the party's weakened position after an election that yielded big Republican gains elsewhere in the country. With no statewide elected officials, it will be tough for the GOP to mount credible campaigns for the state's highest profile seats.